CHICAGO (March 4, 2004) — Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of the nation's premier labor & employment law firms, today announced that Kenneth R. Dolin has joined the firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group as a partner in the Chicago office.  Mr. Dolin joins Seyfarth Shaw from Jenner & Block LLP, where he served as the Chair of the firm’s Labor Practice for nearly seven years.
 
Specializing in labor negotiations, Mr. Dolin has more than 20 years of experience working with clients to address a wide variety of employment matters, including managing union relations, workforce reductions and harassment complaints.  Among his high-profile cases, Mr. Dolin counseled Brach’s Confections throughout the shutdown of its flagship Chicago manufacturing complex.  He also negotiated a complex labor agreement for a large defense contractor, while successfully deploying a lockout lasting more than six months and defending numerous unfair labor charges filed by the workers’ union against the company throughout the negotiations. 

 

“Ken’s outstanding experience and proven track record in helping employers successfully resolve labor disputes makes him a tremendous addition to Seyfarth Shaw,” said Camille Olson, chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Labor & Employment practice.  “His expertise will greatly benefit our clients and we are thrilled to welcome him to our firm.”

 

“While I have had the pleasure of working with many attorneys throughout my career, Ken has distinguished himself from the crowd,” said Kevin Kotecki, Former President of Brach's Confections who worked closely with Ken during the closing of its Chicago manufacturing complex.  "His level of client service is truly extraordinary.  He deeply understood and cared about our unique business issues and was therefore able to provide invaluable counsel.  We were better able to manage the entire situation because of his direct involvement."

 

“Ken is truly one of the finest lawyers that I've ever worked with,” said John Kavanagh, Senior Labor Lawyer with Quaker Oats, who has worked with Ken since 1992.  “He brings a tremendous value to his clients considering his depth of knowledge, and his expertise in the field of traditional labor law is unparalleled.”

 

“What impresses me most about Ken is his attention to detail,” said Henry Wells, Chief Human Resource Officer with Pactiv, who has worked with Ken since 1989.  “He is incredibly thorough, reliable and responsive, which makes him an invaluable and trusted business partner.”

 

Dolin joins Seyfarth Shaw LLP with extensive labor and employment experience, particularly in counseling employers through complex labor negotiations and other employment related disputes.  He graduated cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law, where he received his juris doctorate. Dolin holds a Master of Laws distinction in Labor Law from the New York University School of Law and was additionally awarded a Master in Industrial and Labor Relations degree from the Cornell University School of Industrial & Labor Relations.  He received his bachelor degree from the University of Wisconsin. 
 

Founded in 1945, Seyfarth Shaw will now have approximately 600 attorneys located in nine offices throughout the United States – including Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento -- as well as Brussels, Belgium.  True to its roots, Seyfarth Shaw has one of the largest labor and employment practices in the nation, and also provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of business law, real estate, contracts, employee benefits, environmental, safety and health, and litigation.  American Lawyer recently ranked Seyfarth Shaw as the most prestigious labor and employment law firm in the nation.

 

Today, the firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business and social fabric.  Clients include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads.  The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities.